Things I thought about during winter break

Sometimes you just get some extra time to think about things. Things like, “did I really write that the Chiefs would win the Super Bowl?” and “did I really just see that person pick their nose while working the cash register?” You know, things like that.

Why does every other school district around us get “snow days” or late starts and we just keep plugging along, business as usual. For years, we have called the strip from Coulee Dam to Belvedere the banana belt, but come on, man. Maybe we just have really good bus drivers and really dedicated students, along with super teachers who, like the U.S. Postal Service, will deliver the goods no matter wind, rain, snow or dark of night. I was talking to our son last night and he said they only canceled school one day that he could remember during his days in the district, and that was for 9/11. Maybe we are just lucky to live in this little bowl called the Coulee, and all the bad stuff stays on top. Just thinking out loud.

Since I am thinking of snow, does Grand Coulee own a snow plow? I have driven every town’s streets during our recent accumulation of snow, and it seems that a lot of the side roads in old GC are a 4x4’s dream or a sports car’s nightmare. Coulee Dam and Electric City seem on top of things, but I am just wondering and thinking back to the good old days. As soon as the first flecks of snow started to come down, the city plows would be out working alongside the USBR plows. What happened? Is it a financial thing or a lack of employees? Just wondering.

This one I am sad about. What will happen to the Community Church in Coulee Dam? I am hoping that it remains a community building of some kind. It may be one of the most beautiful buildings in the area, and rich in a great history. Surely the historical society would love to have this on their register. How about a community center or a youth center, or a WorkSource training building. Or maybe even another local church would buy it up, or the USBR would, and turn it into a daycare center. Nevertheless, a lot of great memories are connected to that building, and it is an icon to Coulee Dam.

Who are the parents that bought one of those so-called “hover boards” for their kids? First, I saw the news reports of them blowing up and being recalled, and then the videos of all the crashes and broken bones and egos. First off, these are not the hover boards we were expecting from “Back to the Future;” these are no more than a mall security guard transporter without a handle to hang onto. Parents bought these for their kids and then posted videos of them crashing! Hmmm. And we wonder why a kid gets off for murder because he is a spoiled kid. Yep, that was his defense and it worked. Just thinking here. And yet we sit here and laugh at Coulee Cops. I am just as guilty.